Northeast Modern Language Association (NEMLA) Convention, 2006Philadelphia, PA2-5 March 2006Convention information: www.nemla.org(Panelists must be members of NEMLA)

Why have so many women of African, Afro-Caribbean, and South Asian origin living in Britain turned to comic modes, whether in literary texts or in film, over the past thirty years? What are the links, if any, between the rise of Black British feminism and the proliferation of Black women's comedies? Are these women authors and filmmakers (all of whom are usually labeled "Black" in Britain, but who often occupy differing economic and cultural positions within British society) using comic modes for community-building or to speak to a wider audience, perhaps even to a global audience? Why and how do these comic artists sometimes address and revise genres and forms associated with white women, such as "chick lit" novels and "chick films," even as they develop something new? In an effort to further the study of an under-examined field, this panel will explore a selection of comic works in various media created since 1975 by British women of color. Its goal will be to consider how! we might theorize about the similarities and differences in their ways of eliciting laughter and their reasons for wishing to do so. Among the figures whose works we might discuss are Zadie Smith, Gurinder Chada, Meera Syal, Simi Bedford, and Suniti Namjoshi.